Cold Comforts
by rwl84
Summary: On a winter night two friends discover something new in one another, and they must figure out how to handle telling their friends, and one baby dragon in particular, as they explore this new relationship.  Twilight/Rarity


**Cold Comforts**

_Chapter One_

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><p>The glowing light surrounding the ornate teacup shifted from blue to violet as Rarity gave Twilight her cup of tea. Twilight blew away the rising steam before taking a sip, and thanked her friend for her hospitality. The day was cold, enough so that she still wore her scarf even sitting in Rarity's home in front of a comforting fire. Enough so that when Rarity sat down next to her, their sides brushing up against one another, it didn't seem worthy of comment. Rarity could see Twilight shivering and wanted to provide every comfort she could. On a day like that, a friend by your side was as good as another layer of clothing, but it offered a warmth different and greater than any sweater or scarf.<p>

"Please, do let me know if there's anything else I can get you," Rarity said, waiting until she finished speaking to take a drink from her own cup.

"Thank you Rarity, this is plenty," Twilight replied, taking a moment to savor the warmth of the tea and its delicate floral aroma. "I'm sorry to barge in on you like this, but it was getting pretty bad out there. I was starting to worry about Spike."

The young dragon was upstairs, huddled up in a blanket and resting. The winter cold seemed to make him even sleepier than usual. Rarity knew she had seen Spike using his fire breath to help keep Twilight warm before she called to them and invited them inside, but she allowed Twilight the vanity of saying it was all for his sake.

"Well, I could hardly refuse you after you let me in during that rainstorm," Rarity replied.

Twilight giggled. "Should we have Applejack come over for a slumber party?"

Rarity laughed at that, wondering for a moment how their friend would react to such an invitation. "I don't know about that, but I'm happy to let you stay overnight if you like."

Twilight smiled and thanked her, and they turned their focus to drinking their tea and enjoying the warm glow of the fireplace. Though it was still only afternoon the sky was growing dark with clouds and with the early setting of the winter sun, and soon the room was lit more by the fire than by the windows. Their teacups now empty, they still sat together in silence.

The shift in Twilight's weight was so slight that Rarity wondered if she imagined it, but it felt very much as if Twilight were leaning against her. What she was certain she wasn't imagining was the chill in her friend's skin, and without hesitation she levitated a blanket and draped it across both Twilight and herself. It was a light purple, of course, to better match both of them. Twilight smiled at her and there was no longer any doubt in Rarity's mind that she was leaning against her. Rarity smiled back and let her weight rest against her friend in return.

Twilight giggled and she turned her face back to the fire. Her horn lit up with a violet light and suddenly there were streaks of color running through the fire, flames of blue and green and purple leaping from the logs before dissipating into the air.

"Why Twilight, that's gorgeous!" Rarity said, her jaw hanging open as she watched the full spectrum of hues dancing in her fireplace like an ever-shifting stained glass window.

Twilight blushed, but her pride was plain in her eyes. "Well, I had to do something to repay your generosity."

Rarity didn't have the words to reply as she watched the spectacle. Her eyes followed the rainbow of light thrown across the floor up to her friend's face, seeing those same colors glimmering in her eyes. She couldn't bring her eyes to turn back to the fire, just watching every splash of red and blue and yellow light the curves of Twilight's cheeks where her smile pushed them up. Rarity had always noticed that about Twilight. No other pony she knew, not even Pinkie Pie, had a smile that showed such sincere, innocent, unreserved joy as Twilight. Nor a smile more contagious.

The vision was so transfixing that it took Rarity a moment to notice that those eyes and that smile were now turned back towards her. She felt a blush rising on her face upon meeting Twilight's gaze and a moment later saw the same in Twilight. Her smile changed but didn't disappear. It was softer now and there was an uncertainty to it. The light faded from Twilight's horn and the prismatic array of colors on her face gradually returned to the natural orange and yellow hues of the fire. But even though it was gone now, Rarity had seen something in Twilight's face she didn't imagine she could forget. With their sides pressed up against each other, she wasn't sure whose pounding heart she was feeling.

After a quiet moment Rarity looked back at the fireplace. "Thank you Twilight, that was quite a sight. I had no idea you could perform such a lovely feat."

Twilight chuckled, the uncertainty in her smile coming through as a quiver in her voice. "I just wanted to show you something beautiful, to match..."

They looked at each other again for a moment, before Twilight quickly turned her face away and looked around the room "...all the beautiful things you make."

The same innocence that Rarity loved in her friend's smile was apparent in the fact that she expected Rarity not to know how that sentence was meant to end, and it was just as endearing. But it was endearing in a new way that surprised her. Part of her felt that she ought to be worried, that she ought to be afraid of hurting their friendship by going forward, that their friends might not care for it. But another part of her imagined how it might feel to cuddle closer to her, and couldn't bear the thought of pulling away even as she grew uncomfortably warm pressed up against her underneath the blanket. She had sat next to Twilight for comfort's sake, but now she stayed for another reason entirely. Or perhaps, more accurately, for a different kind of comfort.

As an experiment, she crossed her left foreleg over Twilight's right, pulling herself just a little closer and smiling past her own nervousness. She could feel Twilight's body tense up and she immediately wondered if she'd made a mistake, but moments later Twilight sighed and relaxed again, inching closer herself.

With every glance at Twilight she could see that adorable innocence and felt more and more certain that she needed to move things forward herself. And more certain that she wanted it to move forward. Rarity searched her mind for something to say, some way to voice what she was feeling, some name to give it. Romance, she knew, needed to be articulated properly. She allowed herself to imagine what it would feel like to kiss that blushing cheek and hear Twilight squeak in delighted surprise. She knew how she felt about that, at least. She wanted it. She imagined her romantic passion blended with Twilight's naïve enthusiasm, seeing that smile and knowing it was for her. She imagined hiding their affair and then seeing their friends' shocked faces when it was finally revealed. It would be a glorious drama they would never forget.

Rarity was lost in imagining all the romantic twists and turns their relationship would take when she was broken out of her fantasy by Twilight's voice. "Rarity?"

Perhaps she had been wrong about needing to do it herself. But there was an unease in Twilight's tone, and Rarity leaned forward out of concern. "Yes, Twilight?"

"I... think we need to talk."

Well, Rarity thought, that was one way to break the ice. She dismissed the idea of playing ignorant, even if her romantic nature rebelled at such bluntness. If Twilight wanted to talk about it, she could hardly say no. She sighed and nodded. "Yes, darling, I suppose you're right."

She immediately realized what she'd just said, and they both blushed and looked away. It wasn't the first time Rarity had called Twilight darling. She said that to all of her friends. But it sounded different then, and perhaps that wasn't the proper time to say such things.

Eventually Twilight managed to reply. "Well... I'm not sure I should stay the night."

This was not what Rarity expected and her face wore an expression of genuine hurt. Perhaps Twilight wasn't feeling what she was after all. "Twilight, I'm terribly sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. Please tell me if I've done something wrong."

"No, no!" Twilight shook her head and waved her foreleg vigorously enough that Rarity felt a bit of pride at the knowledge that, apparently, she had done something very right. "It's just... I'm not sure we should be... doing this."

"Doing what, Twilight?" Rarity tilted her head, uncertain. She decided to simply return Twilight's bluntness. "I admit, I'm feeling something for you that I've never felt before. But we haven't done anything."

"We will though, won't we?" Twilight asked, her tail flicking from side to side.

For a moment Rarity was shocked by the implication that she might do anything to Twilight that she didn't want, and she wasn't sure whether to be outraged or ashamed by the accusation. But looking at Twilight's eyes, there was no blame, and her meaning became clear. Twilight thought something was going to happen because she wanted something to happen herself and doubted her ability to stop it.

"Only if you want to," Rarity finally answered.

Twilight looked down, almost looking annoyed at the choice because of her own uncertainty. Rarity simply waited, watching Twilight glance around nervously as her face went through a dozen expressions. Anxiety. Embarrassment. Longing. Worry. Excitement. Rarity felt herself go through every one of them with her, waiting for a response.

"I want..." Twilight began, a look of uncertainty appearing on her face as soon as she said the words. She then sighed and smiled, and Rarity couldn't tell whether she were seeing resignation or resolve. "I think... I think I'd like to get closer."

Rarity giggled and let her full weight rest against Twilight, leaning in and pressing her cheek against Twilight's. "Like this?"

Twilight gasped as she was almost toppled over, but she pressed back. "Yes, that's exactly what I wanted." She nuzzled Rarity's cheek and returned the laugh. It was a warm, bright sound that made Rarity's breath quicken. It was one thing to enjoy Twilight's touch, but it was quite another to know that she wanted it too, to hear the happiness in her voice. She very much wanted to hear that again.

Before long Twilight pulled away slightly and looked at her with a smile that seemed just on the verge of bubbling over into a laugh. It was nervous, but the sort of nervousness that rejoices in itself, that excites and encourages one forward because the potential gains are so much greater than any potential loss. Rarity knew it well, and she cherished that wonderful uncertainty in herself just as she reveled in seeing in on Twilight's face.

"Twilight, I..." Rarity began, blushing as she felt for the first time at a disadvantage. "I think I should like to kiss you."

Almost immediately Twilight nodded enthusiastically, and Rarity felt her heart pound at the answer as she hesitated, savoring the moment of anticipation until it was too much to bear. She lifted her foreleg off of Twilight's and draped it over her back before pulling herself closer. She inched forward, closing her eyes and imagining how it would feel. But her thoughts were suddenly cut short by the very real feeling of Twilight's muzzle bumping against hers, quickly finding her lips and pressing against them with an eagerness that caught Rarity off guard. And Rarity had never enjoyed being caught off guard more than she did in that moment.

Rarity eventually pulled her lips away and gently rubbed her nose against Twilight's. Twilight giggled and at that sound Rarity wanted desperately to kiss her again. But Twilight pulled back and sighed, as if she were releasing pent up reserves of bliss in a single breath.

"Thank you for inviting me in, Rarity. I... I'm really glad to be here with you," Twilight said.

Rarity shook her head. "I'm the one who should be thankful." Rarity let a giddy chuckle escape her lips. "Or perhaps we both have the snow to thank. Or Spike, for forgetting to bundle up."

Suddenly Twilight's face fell, her mouth hanging open as her ears drooped in a mixture of fear and regret. Rarity was terrified. "Twilight, what is it? Did I say something wrong?"

Twilight shook her head, looking down as though unable to meet Rarity's gaze. "No, it's just... you know... Spike."

Spike. Rarity knew what her friend meant without her saying it. She pulled her leg away from Twilight's back and Twilight inched away slightly, staring at the fireplace again. The embers still glowed but no flames jumped from the spent firewood. Rarity had been so preoccupied she hadn't even noticed when it went out.

Rarity tried to imagine what she would do, in this moment, if Sweetie Bell had a crush on Twilight. If she were faced with a choice between giving up Twilight or crushing her sister's hopes, what would she choose? But the more she thought about it the more the comparison became unnecessary. She didn't want to hurt Spike any more than she'd want to hurt Sweetie Bell. She knew that she was never going to be with Spike, whether she were with Twilight or not. And she suspected Spike knew that too. But it was a bitter, hollow comfort. Her inner romantic rebelled at her uncertainty and proclaimed that there was always a way, that there had to be. But it was silent on just what that way might be.

Rarity stood up reluctantly, the blanket that was draped across both of them falling off to the side. They had a lot to talk about and she knew this was going to be a long night. "I think we could both use another cup of tea."

Twilight nodded, and Rarity trotted off to the kitchen to prepare it.

As Rarity set a teapot to boil she considered what her new feelings for Twilight were, and what they might mean. The most obvious change, she had to admit to herself, was pure physical attraction. Not just attraction with the eyes, but for the sound of her voice, and the feeling of her velvet fur against Rarity's own. She was forced to wonder whether she were making an irrevocable mistake for the sake of momentary desire. But when she thought of everything else she looked for in romance, she realized that she and Twilight already shared those things. They already knew each other well and cared for one another and enjoyed each other's company.

If Rarity had merely seen some pony on the street who caught her eye, she thought, she would be less likely to think of romance and more likely to fancy them a model for her designs. Only if she came to know them and care for them would she wonder about becoming more. Her feelings had simply progressed in the opposite sequence with Twilight. A string of doubt still tugged at her, but for now she had convinced herself. There was nothing uncouth about acting on her attraction to Twilight.

But she thought of Spike again, and she knew there was more at stake than her friendship with Twilight.

Twilight wasn't there when Rarity returned with the tea. "Twilight?" She called out and looked around, worried that Twilight might have left while she was gone out of fear or regret. But moments later she saw Twilight walking down from upstairs.

"Sorry, I just went up to check on Spike. I wanted to make sure he was still asleep."

Rarity nodded, relieved. It was a sensible thing to make certain. Rarity imagined the disaster it would've caused had Spike woken earlier and seen the two of them with limbs and lips entangled. It either would've been his worst nightmare or his greatest fantasy, and Rarity wasn't sure which was the worse option in this case.

They sat down in front of the fireplace again, but they faced each other this time. Rarity set down both cups of tea and sighed. Though she now felt it prudent to restrain herself, her desire to be close to Twilight was no less than it was earlier. The romantic moment was gone, but the feelings it raised inside her remained. That only made her more confident that it was something worth fighting for.

When Twilight looked away and suddenly became very interested in drinking her tea, Rarity realized these feelings must have been quite plain on her face as she stared at Twilight. She looked down and took a drink herself.

Finally Twilight broke the silence. "I guess we have a choice to make."

"A choice?" Rarity asked, leaning forward.

"Well, I was thinking about it while you were gone," Twilight began. "And we've got two options. We could... forget this ever happened to keep from hurting Spike." Her voice cracked slightly in a way that made Rarity want to hug her again even as she couldn't bear the suggestion she offered. "Or... we could see what happens between us, and try to figure out how to break this to Spike without hurting him."

It took all of Rarity's willpower not to shout for plan B at the top of her lungs. She knew however hard this was for her it was harder for Twilight. She had known Spike longer than she had known anyone. Rarity had to let her make that choice. So with all the calm she could muster, she asked, "And which do you want, Twilight?"

Twilight looked down at her hooves as they shifted back and forth slightly against the floor, and Rarity wondered whether in offering the choice to her she had given Twilight a burden rather than a boon. But eventually she shut her eyes and smiled, taking a deep breath before looking back up. "I'm not sure what we can do about Spike. There might not be a solution. But... I know for certain that I'm not going to forget what happened between us tonight."

If Rarity were following her passions she would already have leapt atop Twilight and kissed her again. But again she restrained herself and simply nodded, unable to keep the smile from her face. "I feel the same way."

"I guess we've made our choice then," Twilight replied.

Rarity nodded. "I suppose we have."

They looked at one another for a long moment. It lacked the passion and intensity of their first kiss, but there was a finality to those words that gave Rarity pause. A feeling that they had spent all night inching closer to a dividing line and that they had finally crossed it together. Rarity scooted closer to Twilight and leaned in to rub noses, and as she pulled back she was suddenly overwhelmed by giddy laughter, her body shaking in delight. She had forced herself to stay calm to keep herself from pressuring Twilight and to give that moment of transition the gravity it deserved. But once it had passed, once the tension was eased, once she could nuzzle Twilight and enjoy it simply as an act of affection rather than an experimental first step, she couldn't keep it all bottled up anymore. She felt like a filly who had her first crush and she was a bit embarrassed at how she was acting, but she simply couldn't contain it. It was a terribly undignified feeling and she was grateful to Twilight for giving it to her.

Twilight looked at her in surprise but was helpless to resist giggling along with her. "What're you laughing about?"

Rarity shook her head as she managed to get it under control, wiping her wet eyes with a hoof. "Eheh, I'm not sure. I'm just excited I suppose."

"I know just what you mean." Twilight blushed and looked away, grinning. After a moment she sighed and refocused herself, the grin giving way to a look of calm determination. "So now we need to figure out what to do about Spike."

Rarity felt much more interested in exploring their new romance further, but she nodded regardless. Twilight was right. There would be time for more kisses later. Rarity started growing more excited as she imagined that, but forced herself to calm down as Twilight had. She had much more difficulty doing this, but she was soon able to reply.

"I suppose you have some ideas already?" She asked. With Twilight that was always a good bet.

Twilight nodded. They were making plans so she was in her element now, and her tone changed to one Rarity liked to call her Dear Princess Celestia voice. "Well, let's get the most obvious idea out of the way first. We could just sit Spike down and tell him what happened."

Yes, Rarity thought, let's get that idea out of the way as quickly as possible. She could respect the simplicity of it but if the question were how to break it to Spike without upsetting him then it was less an idea and more admitting defeat.

"Do you... think that would work?" Rarity asked, trying to be civil about it.

Twilight brought her hoof up to her chin and thought for a moment. "No, not really."

"Indeed," Rarity replied. She had an idea of her own. "What if I were to talk to him first? To let him down easy and convince him to forget his crush somehow."

Twilight shook her head. "Spike's not stupid. If you give him that talk and then all of a sudden you and I are together, he's going to know why you talked to him about it."

"True," Rarity agreed, thinking on it for a moment. "But is that avoidable? It might, at least, soften the blow once he does find out."

"Maybe, but in the end I'm not sure this is all that different from plan A."

Rarity nodded and though about their remaining options. Most of the ideas that came to her mind were some variation on just telling him, which was already discussed and discarded. So it occurred to her that she needed some idea which didn't involve telling him at all.

"Well, what if we weren't to tell him at all?" Rarity asked, almost laughing at Twilight's confused expression. Truthfully she was quite uncertain about the idea herself, but she had no others to offer. "What if he were simply to see us kiss, or hear us speaking of romance?"

Twilight looked no less bewildered by the idea than she had before Rarity had fully explained it. "I... I really don't think that'll help. I think we want to avoid shocking him, if anything."

"I suppose you're right," Rarity said, sighing. It was frustrating to deal with the problem of too many suitors, not least of all because she had never considered too many suitors to be a problem before in the first place.

"What if..." Twilight thought, her eyes focusing and brow furrowing as she tapped her hoof on her chin. "What if we... redirected his crush?

Rarity didn't like the sound of this, and she looked on Twilight with concern. "Redirected, Twilight?"

"Well, if he developed a crush for somepony else, he wouldn't mind if you were with me, right?"

"I... suppose so," Rarity said, feeling forced to agree to a statement simply for being technically accurate.

Twilight's face twisted further as she thought deeper on the subject, finally looking at Rarity with an uncomfortable analyzing stare. "You know... Sweetie Bell looks a lot like you."

Rarity's mouth hung open and she shook her head vigorously. "No, Twilight Sparkle! You are most certainly not going to manipulate Spike into a crush on my little sister!"

"What if-"

"You shall also not force him into such a crush by misusing magic!" Rarity stated forcefully, moments later adding for completeness, "Nor science!" One couldn't be too careful in these situations.

Twilight looked sadly at Rarity. "...Applebloom?"

"No!"

Twilight sighed and slumped on the floor, and Rarity felt a bit sorry for her, however necessary she felt her words were. She leaned in and placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

"I'm sorry to be so harsh, Twilight, but we simply can't make Spike feel something for somepony. It's not that simple."

"I guess I knew that," Twilight admitted. "I just feel so lost, I don't know anything about this romantic stuff."

Rarity could have guessed, but she elected not to say as much. She simply nodded and gave Twilight a reassuring pat.

Twilight suddenly giggled and blushed, looking up at Rarity. "To be honest... I'd never even kissed anypony before tonight."

Rarity's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Twilight! At your age!" She nearly shouted the words but held her voice back, wary of waking a sleeping dragon. She had of course presumed that Twilight lacked experience in matters of romance, but she was surprised by the depth of that inexperience. For an adult pony to have never even kissed... Rarity didn't know what to think of it.

Immediately she regretted her outburst as Twilight shrank back down to the floor as though she wanted to blend in with it, and the blush on her cheeks looked less like a shy but unashamed confession of a secret, and more like genuine embarrassment and regret at her admission. Twilight had given Rarity her trust in that moment and Rarity had failed to live up to it.

"I'm sorry Twilight. There's nothing wrong with that, I was just surprised. That was insensitive of me."

Twilight nodded but still looked down, not meeting Rarity's gaze.

Rarity looked around as if the answer might be somewhere in the room. "I... understand you didn't have many opportunities until recently. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

This, too, was apparently not a comfort.

Rarity sighed and cursed herself for her mistake. She loved Twilight's naïveté and she hated the thought of making Twilight feel ashamed of it. She wanted Twilight to know that. She smiled as best she could and lifted her hoof to Twilight's chin, turning her face upwards. "I'm honored that I could give you your first kiss. And... I quite look forward to helping you catch up."

Twilight seemed helpless to smile at that idea, and her blush changed again, showing a sweet, bashful pony who wanted that as much as Rarity did but couldn't quite say so. Rarity imagined herself cataloguing all the different ways Twilight blushed and all their different meanings, and she relished the thought of turning those soft lavender cheeks a brighter pink as often as possible.

Suddenly Twilight spoke up. "You've... kissed plenty of ponies, haven't you?"

Apparently Twilight had the same designs on making her blush. For a moment Rarity wondered if that was intended to imply what she thought it was intended to imply. She also wondered what Twilight had heard from Ponyville at large, as they had never discussed romance much between the two of them. But she didn't feel she was in a position where she could question Twilight's motives, nor hide her own past for fear of embarrassment. She had let down Twilight's trust, so all she could do was offer up her own. It was only fair.

She nodded, "Why yes, Twilight, I have."

Twilight giggled. "I could tell."

Rarity frowned, but she tried to avoid sounding hurt. "Is that... a problem?"

"Actually," Twilight said, giggling again. "I just meant you were really good at it."

There was a playful look in Twilight's eyes which suggested that Rarity's confusion about Twilight's meaning was not entirely unintentional. Rarity was impressed. She grinned and inched closer. She felt she had no right to take offense after what she had said, and she was much more interested in using this as a chance to have some fun.

"Oh my, Twilight!" She lifted a hoof to her mouth in mock surprise. "If you were impressed by THAT kiss, then I simply must show you a REAL kiss!"

Twilight grinned back and her tail flicked from side to side. "Try me."

This time it was Rarity who dove in to press her lips against Twilight's, and she kept pushing forward after they met, slowly forcing Twilight up onto her hind legs as she stood up herself, wrapping her forelegs around Twilight and holding her. Twilight returned the embrace and twisted her muzzle against Rarity's as if she couldn't keep still, and Rarity could feel her shaking in nervous passion. When Rarity opened her lips, Twilight opened her eyes and let out a gasp. In her excitement she lost her balance and toppled over backwards onto the floor with a loud bump, and Rarity fell atop her.

They stared at each other for a single surprised moment before they both burst into laughter. The kiss turned out nothing like Rarity thought and better than she could have ever imagined.

Once they calmed down, Twilight wiped her eyes and smiled, still panting slightly from all the excitement. "Wow, Rarity. You really ARE good."

Rarity chuckled. "Honestly, Twilight. As much as I should like to take credit, no one pony can be a good kisser." She smiled and gave Twilight a nuzzle, feeling no need to get up off her just yet. "It takes two ponies to make a good kiss, and you most certainly did your part."

Twilight snickered. "My part seemed to involve just a little more falling over than your part."

Rarity planted another peck on her cheek and grinned. "Well, we all have our own role to play, my dear."

There was a bump upstairs, and within a second Rarity was off Twilight, pulling away and stepping back towards her cup of tea. Twilight sat back up and her horn glowed with magic as she straightened her hair. Moments later Spike descended the stairs halfway, rubbing his eyes and looking down at them.

"Oh, hello Spike," Rarity said, trying to sound calm over her rapid breaths.

Spike yawned. "What's going on? I heard a crash and a lot of laughing."

"Oh, um..." Twilight began. "Pinkie Pie was here! That's right, we were laughing at Pinkie Pie."

Spike raised an eyebrow and looked around. "Where is she now?"

"Oh, well, you know Pinkie," Rarity chuckled nervously, irritated by the unnecessary lie but unable to go back on it now. And she had to admit, if anything could always explain any crash followed by laughter, it was Pinkie Pie. "She comes and goes when you least expect it."

He nodded with an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, seriously. Twilight, weren't you studying how she does that?"

Twilight chuckled and blushed. "It's been... inconclusive."

Before Spike could interrupt them with more questions, Rarity looked out the window at the night sky and gasped in false surprise. "Oh my! I didn't realize how late it was." She yawned. "I suppose we should all get to bed."

Twilight nodded and stood up, yawning. "Thank you for everything, Rarity." She smiled, and Rarity could see she was doing her best to be vague for Spike's sake, while still showing how she felt.

Rarity smiled back and shook her head. "Think nothing of it, darling. I care about you a great deal, er... both of you, and I simply couldn't have you freezing out there in the snow."

"Wow..." Spike said, his eyes wide with delight. "I just got up, and now I get to go right back to bed? Best day ever!"

The two ponies giggled as he dashed back up the stairs, and Rarity found herself agreeing with his assessment. Twilight watched him go upstairs and Rarity imagined she could see some sadness in her eyes, but it wasn't the same romance-ending shock it was earlier when she remembered him. It was no longer a question of whether they should go forward, but of what they should do now that they had. The second question was not an easier one by any means, in fact there were many more options and no simple way to choose among them, but there was at least some comfort in having answered the first one and being able to enjoy its results.

Twilight started following him when Rarity had a sudden idea and placed a hoof on her shoulder to stop her, looking at her nervously. She hadn't realized until that moment that the question of sleeping arrangements was suddenly a much more complicated one.

"Twilight, I... though it may seem uncouth, I think we should discuss where you'll be sleeping tonight."

Twilight seemed to realize the importance of the question immediately. "Oh! I, um, hadn't thought about that." She looked away, lowering her ears. "If... if you think we should sleep in separate beds..."

The disappointment on Twilight's face was unbearable, and Rarity sighed. "It occurs to me that... if none of this had happened tonight, well, I would have... offered to share my bed with you." Rarity silently cursed every euphemism she knew for making it so difficult to ask somepony to sleep with you in the purely literal sense of sleeping in the same bed. It would have perhaps been easier, she had to admit to herself, if the other meaning of sharing her bed didn't keep popping unbidden into her mind.

Twilight bit her lip softly as if uncertain. "I don't know..."

Yesterday Rarity would've said there was nothing even remotely wrong with sharing a bed with Twilight as Spike slept in the same room. But it meant something different then, even if the situation was the same. But even so, Rarity couldn't bring herself to suggest that Twilight should sleep elsewhere. The notion that they should come closer to one another and then admit less affection and be less comfortable in the same bed was maddening to her.

Suddenly Twilight's eyes brightened. "Well..." Twilight began, chuckling playfully. "I guess if I slept somewhere else, Spike would wonder why, wouldn't he? I think we have to share a bed, if only to keep up appearances."

With a laugh Rarity shook her head. "Of course, my dear. And I'm certain that's your only reason for deciding this."

"There's no reason that being practical can't work in my favor," Twilight said, lifting her head and clearly feeling quite pleased with herself.

"I can't argue with that, darling. You're right." Rarity grinned and kissed Twilight's cheek as she walked past her, letting her curly purple tail brush across Twilight's face right where she'd kissed. She was certain without even looking that Twilight's eyes followed her as she walked up the stairs, and after a few moments she heard hoofsteps coming to catch up.

Though she had suggested going to bed simply to end the conversation with Spike and prevent any more unnecessary and obvious lies from being told, as she approached her bedroom she felt more and more that she was right to say so regardless. There were so many questions in her mind over the day's events, some of them exciting and some of them frightening, but they blended together in her mind and she had difficulty focusing on any of them. She would have time to talk about them with Twilight tomorrow, she was sure. And the next day, and the next day, she thought with anxious excitement. Given everything that had happened that night, the thought of what might come to be after a whole day together made her heart race. She was eager to see it.

Spike was already snoring in his makeshift bed when they entered, and Twilight and Rarity quietly stepped to opposite sides of the large bed. Rarity decided not to say anything about it when Twilight was not nearly as careful about getting into bed as she was herself. The small act of messiness was cute in its own way, and Rarity found herself wondering what Twilight's hair would look like in the morning before she brushed it. Perhaps Rarity could even brush it for her...

"Goodnight Rarity," Twilight said, breaking Rarity out of her fantasies again with her voice. And that smile.

"Goodnight, Twilight darling," she replied. The night was cold and she was happy to feel a warm presence in her bed, but she knew in this case she'd be glad no matter the temperature.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! This is my first fanfic so I'm excited to hear any comments anyone has on it.


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